The present invention relates to a form of brassiere construction having an improved form of padding.
In order to enhance bust contour, comfort and shape and/or to cosmetically improve the perceived size of the bust, many women wear brassieres which include some form of padding layer within the cup structure. The term "brassiere" is used in the broad sense and is applicable to halters, bathing suits, and other women's garments which incorporate breast receiving cups. As a matter of convenience, a bandeau brassiere is being discussed as exemplary.
Padded brassieres originally incorporated sponge or foam rubbers or like materials for padding. The use of these materials has in many instances proven unsatisfactory. These materials possess poor porosity and have been found to be unable to withstand machine washings or drying at elevated temperatures, exhibit poor stress crack resistance and yellow with age.
Recently, the material generally employed for brassiere padding has been a layer of some form of non-woven, bound staple fibers, such as polyester. This layer is typically laminated on either one or both sides to a thin knitted or woven textile material. This form of padding is generally referred to as "fiberfill." It is the same basic material employed in outer wear as a heat retaining and insulating interlining.
Because fiberfill padding is relatively lightweight and can be relatively economically produced, it has, for the most part, replaced materials such as foam rubber and sponge as brassiere cup padding.
However, fiberfill paddings, although commercially acceptable, also have many deficiencies. The heat insulation properties of fiberfill padding, although highly desirable for outer wear interlinings, is not desirable in brassieres. Although, fiberfill paddings exhibit greater stability and chemical durability than rubber foam or the like, it has been found that fiberfill may be subject to pilling and bunching up after prolonged wear and laundering.
Some workers have suggested solving this latter problem through needle punching of the material and/or the addition of a greater proportion of binder to the non-woven fiberfill batting. While such steps may improve the overall strength of the fiberfill and deter pilling and bunching up, they can negatively affect other characteristics particularly desirable for brassiere cup padding. In particular, the adding of additional binders and/or needle punching oftentimes stiffens the fiberfill and has a negative affect on the loft and resiliency characteristics desired.
While the shape of the female breast is sometimes referred to as hemispherical, in fact, it is a complex curvilinear surface. The more naturally a brassiere cup conforms to the shape of a woman's breast, the more acceptable the garment. Thus, in addition to the other negatives which arise in imparting stiffness to fiberfill padding to enhance its durability characteristics, there is the additional problem that the fiberfill padding will less readily conform to the cup shape since the padding does not drape well within the cups.
This latter problem is even more significant today where molded, rather than cut and sewn cup structures are being employed in the manufacture of brassieres. Molding permits the brassiere cups to be formed with more complex curvilinear detail than cut and sew cups. However, where the stiffness of the fiberfill is such that it does not closely drape within the cups, this benefit is lost. The brassiere may then have a too artificial or structured appearance.
It has been found that this problem is not simply solved by molding the fiberfill in a like manner as employed in molding the brassiere cups themselves. The fiberfill as noted before, is not a knit or woven material nor is it as thin or supple as such fabrics. Initial emplacement of the planar extent of fiberfill over, for example, a male molding die requires that the fiberfill be readily drapable, and not stiff. However, the force of molding creates substantial pressures on the fiberfill, especially at the nipple area and additional strength is needed to prevent rupture of the batting.
Thus, both with regard to cut and sewn brassiere cup structures and molded brassiere cup structures, there is a need to provide a fiberfill which is cooler to wear, has good loft and resiliency and be sufficiently supple to drape well within the cup structure. These attributes are highly desirable not only where the fiberfill is within the three dimensional area of the cup itself, but also wherever fiberfill is employed in a brassiere. For example, fiberfill is used in some brassiere constructions along the frame or bordering structure about the outer perimeter of the cups to cushion the skin of the wearer. It has also been suggested that fiberfill be interposed in a brassiere of the so-called underwire type, between the underwire and the wearer's body.
The present invention is directed to a fiberfill providing a solution of all of these problems. According to the present invention, a fiberfill padding, particularly suitable for brassiere cups is provided, with the fiberfill padding including a batting of fibers formed together into a cohesive fibrous web, the batting having a plurality of perforations or open areas devoid of the fibers extending through the batting, with interstitial areas of fibers between such open areas and a layer of covering material superimposed on at least one surface of the batting. Not only do the open areas serve to vent the fiberfill and aesthetically lighten its appearance, the patterned open work structure improves the ability of the fiberfill to be draped and shaped within the cup to which it is mated. Because of the added drape and suppleness imparted by the patterned openwork structure, techniques such as needle punching and the use of a relatively high concentration of binders can be employed to impart the particular strength and durability characteristics needed for brassiere cups.
Heretofore, where perforations or openings have been desired in a lining for a brassiere cup, either a woven or plastic material has been used (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,216 to Stein). One prior worker has even suggested the use of polyurethane (see German Publication Bekletdung Und Wasche by Moeller, 1969 pages 1781-82) although polyurethane foam is known to discolor badly.
Where enhanced drape has been desired, it has been suggested that one provide fiberfill with very narrow slits having a transverse width of approximately zero, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,450 to Tesch, with the resultant structure being a closed non-vented material.
These two types of approaches, i.e. the use of plastics or woven in lieu of non-woven materials, or the use of closed slits have not been unexpected in view of the durability requirements desired in the brassiere padding. An openwork pattern creating areas of non-overlapping fibers would seemingly result in a non-commercially weakened structure having a greater propensity to pill during laundering.
According to the present invention, it has been discovered, however, that a regular pattern of openings can be made in a fiberfill material prepared from synthetic fibers, such as staple polyester fibers with the resultant product having sufficient density to withstand launderability; a high degree of loft and flexibility; an aesthetically pleasing appearance; and because of the openings, provide a vented and thus more comfortable brassiere cup structure.
The fiberfill generally employed in brassieres today are generally made of staple synthetic fibers such as polyester, with various binders. Thus, the various examples and ranges disclosed herein are based upon such typical uses. It is understood that the range of weight and density of the fiberfill may vary based upon specific usage. It is understood, however, that the batting may be formed by other means, for example, from a spun bonded process or from a continuous filament material.
Similarly, while many weight and density ranges may be employed, generally the weights are in the ranges of between 40-400 grams per cubic centimeter.
Referring to products employing a non-woven batting of staple synthetic fibers having the above average weights and thicknesses, particularly in the 80 to 210 gram perimeter range, it has been found that providing openings typically having a length and width in the range of 1/32nd of an inch to 1/4 of an inch, sufficient flexibility is imparted to the fiberfill and higher than normal ranges of needle punching and/or binding additives can be employed to enhance strength without negatively affecting the hand, suppleness and wear life characteristics desired.
Where this form of fiberfill is used, it is preferred that the padding includes as the basic batting material, synthetic fibers, thermoplastic or non-thermoplastic, such as staple polyester fibers which are crimped to provide increased holding force between the fibers. The fibers are formed into a carded web, employing any one of the well-known systems such as by the randomizing method, where all the fibers are randomly oriented in different directions and, preferably, with a majority of the fibers (2:1) oriented in a lengthwise direction. The fiberfill web which is formed may have a density in the range of 11/2 to 10 ounces per square yard. This density range has been found to be highly suitable since a denser web makes it difficult to evenly apply binders to the entire thickness of the material and a web of lower density could present an uneven batt and be thus less suitable for forming openings therein.
After such a fiberfill web is formed, it may be needle punched to interengage fibers for strength and to improve both the surface uniformity of the material and the hand or feel of the web.
A binder may then be applied in order to improve the strength, durability, washability and loft characteristics of the material. Generally known resins may be employed such as forms of acrylic, polyester or acetate or a combination of all of these. The resin mixture is applied to the batting, such as by being sprayed on the batting web with the resin penetrating the thickness of the web. A relatively high resin concentration can be applied because as hereinafter described openings are to be provided which give greater flexibility to the finished batting. The material is then dried.
Openings or perforations are then provided in the material. The openings may be formed in any suitable manner. For example, the material may be slit and expanded; or a pattern of holes may be formed in the web by striking it with a die having a plurality of cutting surfaces formed thereon; or the web may be fed through a role slitter having a plurality of cutting blades. Other procedures well-known in the art may also be used.
In one form of the invention, the fiberfill web includes approximately 100 to 120 openings or perforations per square inch. The holes should be of a visible size, and typically have a length and width in the range of approximately 1/32 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch. It has been found that if the holes are of a smaller size, they tend to become less visible with time and the material is somewhat stiff and does not have the desired hand or feel. If the holes are of a larger size, it has been found that they are difficult to stabilize and the material is too flexible and becomes too weak. It is to be understood that the thickness of the web may vary depending upon the ultimate thickness desired in the finished fiberfill product. In thicker webs the openings are generally made larger than in thinner webs. The openings may be arranged in any desired pattern, such as a side-by-side grid arrangement. However, for aesthetic purposes, it has been found desirable to arrange the openings in a pattern of columns where in adjacent rows the openings alternate with each other.
The perforated batting material may then be bonded between an inner and outer fabric layer and cut to the desired size and shape to form a bra cup pad or, as is known, fabric may only be bonded to one side of the batting, with the inner surface of the brassiere cup serving as a second fabric layer.
While the openings in the fiberfill can be aligned in any desired manner by varying the pattern or shape of the openings and/or the alignment of the fiberfill vis-a-vis the brassiere cup structure, the stretch and drape characteristics of the fiberfill can be best utilized to meet the aims of the brassiere designer. Thus, for example, less horizontal give or stretch can be provided in the lower segment of a brassiere cup to impart additional supportive characteristics and some give or stretch can be provided in the upper segment of the brassiere cup for comfort and better adaptation to shape.